Plate carrier and a protective vest

ABSTRACT

A plate carrier wearable by a user for housing an armor plate comprises a plurality of hinges that connect a front portion of the plate carrier and a back portion of the plate carrier at the bottom; and an attachment mechanism disposed near the top of the plate carrier and configured to adjustably secure the armor plate inside the plate carrier.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation-in-part of Design Patent Application No. 29,495,839 to David Warren, titled “A plate carrier” and filed on Jul. 3, 2014, and Design Patent Application No. 29,495,833 to David Warren, titled “A plate carrier” and filed on Jul. 3, 2014, the entirety of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention disclosed herein relates generally to a plate carrier and a protective vest for protecting the human torso from ballistic impact. Specifically, the protective vest and the plate carrier are configured to hold protective inserts with a wide range of sizes.

BACKGROUND

Combat forces, police officers, security professionals, and even amateurs are routinely wearing protective gear, such as protective vests, which are designed to prevent or mitigate the damage caused by the impact of projectiles and/or explosives and/or by the stabbing/slashing of hand weapons. A protective vest is typically formed primarily by two components: an outer carrier designed to house an armor solution or a protective insert. The armor solution or protective insert is typically in a panel form, rigid or semi-flexible. The panels are commonly made of multi-layer woven Kevlar if the vest is designed to provide protection against handguns; and, for protection against more powerful weapons, such as rifles, ceramic composites are typically used to make the panel. Sometimes, hard steel plates are added to the body armor to enhance the protective functions of the vest.

Traditionally, outer body armor carriers, which house the protective inserts and form a wearable platform on a torso, are made of nylon or cotton fabric with sewed-in pockets to receive the protective armor solution. In the past, the outer carrier has to be specifically tailored for each design of armor plates or panels. A tailored design, which is suitable for a specific plate size or contour, may not be adaptable to comfortably fit many other different plates or body types. Knowing that there are hundreds of armor plate designs and more than one body type, this method of making the outer plate carrier does not provide a user with an efficient solution when he or she needs to change armor plates from one manufacturer to another.

In addition, conventional vests are generally very heavy due to their full body coverage design and the use of complex attachment systems to hold and release the armor panels. As a result, the traditional body armor is cumbersome to properly put on or remove from a human torso.

SUMMARY

There is a need to have a universal carrier that is capable of receiving a wide range of armor solutions including a range of rigid or flexible composite armor plates or panels. It is also desirable that an improved design is lightweight with improved functionalities, including improved ergonomics and ventilation for a user. The present application has set forth various embodiments of a clamshell carrier design to solve the above-identified drawbacks of conventional plate carriers by housing armor plates similarly like a clamshell, which has two halves connected with each other at hinges along one side of the clamshell. The plate carrier design includes a front portion and a back portion, which are hinged at the base and fastened on the top. A layer of shear thickening liquid or foam may be additionally attached to the back portion to provide an energy absorbing gap between the plate carrier and the torso. The shear thickening foam further reduces backside deformation and spreads the kinetic energy over a greater area. Additional layers may be further added to the shear thickening form to provide ventilation passage ways between the torso and the ambient environment. The plate carrier design may also include relief cutouts to offer increased flexibility and conformability.

According to an aspect of the present application, a plate carrier houses an armor plate and is wearable by a user. The plate carrier comprises a plurality of hinges that connect a front portion of the plate carrier and a back portion of the plate carrier at the bottom; and an attachment mechanism disposed near the top of the plate carrier and configured to adjustably secure the armor plate inside the plate carrier.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the plate carrier allows the armor plate to extend beyond the horizontal edges of the plate carrier.

According to another embodiment of the present application, the front portion includes a plurality of cutouts.

According to yet another embodiment of the present application, the front portion of the plate carrier gradually reduces its configuration from the bottom to the top.

According to yet another embodiment of the present application, the configuration at the top of the plate carrier is about half the size of the bottom of the plate carrier.

According to yet another embodiment of the present application, the plurality of hinges are formed by a predetermined cutout at the bottom of the plate carrier.

According to various embodiments of the present application, the predetermined cutout at the bottom of the plate carrier represents a single substantially circular cutout or a single substantially rectangular cutout.

According to yet another embodiment of the present application, the back portion includes a plurality of shoulder harness slots and a plurality of waist harness slots.

According to various embodiments of the present application, the plurality of shoulder harness slots have an angle between about 15 degrees to about 45 degrees relative to a horizontal direction or an angle of about 30 degrees relative to the horizontal direction.

According to yet another embodiment of the present application, the back portion includes a cutout corresponding to a wearer's chest area.

According to yet another embodiment of the present application, the plate carrier is capable of accommodating armor plates having different sizes.

According to yet another embodiment of the present application, an anti-ballistic layer is attached to the back portion.

According to yet another embodiment of the present application, a ventilation layer is attached to the anti-ballistic layer and is configured to provide ventilation passageways to dissipate heat generated by a wearer.

According to yet another embodiment of the present application, the front portion and the back portion of the plate carrier are capable of pivoting around the plurality of hinges like a clamshell.

According to yet another embodiment of the present application, the plate carrier is free of any attachment slots.

According to yet another embodiment of the present application, the attachment mechanism near the top of the plate carrier represents an integral part of the plate carrier.

According to another aspect of the present application, a protective vest includes at least one plate carrier comprising a plurality of hinges that connect a front portion of the plate carrier and a back portion of the plate carrier at the bottom and an attachment mechanism disposed near the top of the plate carrier and configured to adjustably secure the armor plate inside the plate carrier.

According to an embodiment, the protective vest further comprises a side panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Certain exemplary embodiments are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. The following description and drawings are given by way of example, and not limitation, and the claims are not intended to be limited only to the specific details of the description and drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a protective vest 100 according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a plate carrier 200 according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of a plate carrier 200 according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 4 illustrates a back view of a plate carrier 200 according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 4 a illustrates a bottom view of the plate carrier 200 according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 5 illustrates an armor panel secured in a plate carrier 200 according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 6 illustrates a plan view of a flattened plate carrier 200 in FIG. 2 in its flattened pre-use state according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 7 illustrates a construction of the back portion of the plate carrier 200 according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 8 illustrates a plan view of a plate carrier 800 in its flattened pre-use state according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 9 illustrates a plan view of a plate carrier 900 in its flattened pre-use state according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 10 illustrates a plan view a plate carrier 1000 in its flattened pre-use state according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 11 illustrates a plan view of a plate carrier 1100 in its flattened pre-use state according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 12 illustrates a side panel 1200 according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 13 illustrates a plate carrier 1300 in its flattened pre-use state according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 14 illustrates the plate carrier 1300 of FIG. 13 in a closed position according to an embodiment of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of protective vests, plate carriers, and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed or are apparent from and encompassed by the description herein. Not all embodiments disclosed herein are specifically illustrated in the drawings, but their construction will be apparent to one of ordinary skills in the art from the disclosure herein. Also, the specific embodiments described below and shown in the drawings are exemplary.

The plate carrier as set forth in various embodiments of the present application represents a universal carrier, which may accommodate a wide range of armor panel sizes and body shapes. According to an embodiment, the plate carrier may be used on both a female torso and a male torso without further tailoring. The present application provides improved designs on form, fit, and function. According to some embodiments, the present application provides a secure housing to hold many configurations and levels of Small Arms Protective Inserts (“SAPI”) plate armor solutions, such as rigid ceramic, rigid steel, rigid composite, and soft composite; mitigates backside defamation through the use of energy absorption materials, such as shear thickening fluid and shear thickening foam, reduces pressure by creating a natural air gap between the carrier and the user, provides protection from secondary fragments, shrapnel and debris, and offers rapid deployment and removal of armor plates while providing a secure housing.

FIG. 1 illustrates a protective vest 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. The protective vest 100 includes an anterior panel 102 and a posterior panel 104, which are secured to each other via a harness system. The harness system may be of any attachment means, such as straps, belts, ropes, ties, chains, loops, buckles, hooks, or fittings, for fastening, supporting, or restraining the panels 102 and 104. According to an embodiment, the harness system represents a Velcro system. According to an embodiment, the harness system includes a plurality of shoulder straps 106 and a plurality of waist straps 108. The panels 102 and 106 may have a predetermined contour conforming to a general shape of an upper portion of a human torso. According to an embodiment, the posterior panel 104 and the anterior panel 102 are substantially similar with each other, which is contoured regardless whether the plate carrier is used in an anterior location or a posterior location. According to an embodiment, the posterior panel 104 is contoured according to a general shape of the back of a human torso, while the anterior panel 102 is contoured according to a general shape of the front of a human torso.

Both the anterior panel 102 and the posterior panel 104 are used to house protective inserts with a wide range of sizes. For example, SAPI specified by the U.S. Army may be produced in the following sizes and weights:

Extra Small—1.27 kg (2.8 lb)|184×292 mm (7¼×11½ in),

Small—1.59 kg (3.5 lb)|222×298 mm (8¾%×11¾ in),

Medium—1.82 kg (4.0 lb)|241×318 mm (9½×12½ in),

Large—2.09 kg (4.6 lb)|260×337 mm (10⅛×13¼ in), and

Extra Large 2.40 kg (5.3 lb)|280×356 mm (11×14 in).

The size of an armor plate manufactured according to the SAPI specification may have variations up to 3.75 inches along the horizontal direction and 3.5 inches along the vertical direction. Traditional plate carriers with fixed pouch sizes would not be able to accommodate armor plates with such variation in sizes. Rather, each time a new armor plate is needed, the user has to order a new plate carrier to fit the new armor plate.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the plate carrier does not physically limit its housing capacity in the horizontal direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the side edges of the anterior panel 102 and the posterior panel 104 are open and free of confinement means. In this way, the panels are able to house armor plates with different horizontal dimensions. Along the vertical direction, the panels use an attachment mechanism at the top to secure the armor plate in position. As shown in FIG. 1, the anterior panel 102 or the posterior panel 104 uses an adjustable attachment mechanism 110 to secure a plate inside the panel. According to an embodiment, the adjustable attachment mechanism may be implanted as a stretchable Velcro system 110, as shown in FIG. 1. The adjustability of the attachment mechanism 110 allows armor plates with various heights to be housed and secured inside the plate carrier. It is noted that the adjustable mechanism 110 may be implanted in any suitable means known to a person of ordinary skill in the art, including harness, ties, straps, buckles, and belts.

In panel 102 or panel 104, the adjustable attachment mechanism 110 is attached to both the front portion and back portions of that panel. Attachment areas, such as the extension area 114, for the attachment mechanism 110 are provided. In addition, a slot 112 is also provided at the back portion of the panel 102 to guide and restrict the movement of the stretchable strap 110.

According to an embodiment, both anterior panel 102 and posterior panel 104 have a clamshell design as set forth in the present application. The clamshell design allows a plate carrier to be body conforming and makes the placement of armor plates in a plate carrier or removal of armor plates from a plate carrier to be carried out efficiently. For example, a single operation of an attachment mechanism near the top of a plate carrier as set forth in the present application can properly set up an armor plate in a plate carrier.

According to another embodiment, at least one of the anterior panel 102 or the posterior panel 104 has a configuration as disclosed in the present application. According to an embodiment, the protective vest 100 may further include a side panel (not shown) to protect the side areas of the wearer. The side panel may have a similar clamshell design as that of the anterior panel or the posterior panel. When a side panel is used, the waist harness system 108 attaches the side panel with the other panels.

FIG. 2 illustrates a plate carrier 200 according to an embodiment of the present application. The plate carrier 200 may be used as any of the anterior panel 102 or the posterior panel 104. The plate carrier 200 includes a front portion 214 and a back portion 216, which are connected with each other via a plurality of hinges 206 at the bottom of the plate carrier 200. At the top of the plate carrier 200, the adjustable attachment mechanism 110 is used to fasten the front portion 214 and the back portion 216 together. The side edges of the plate carrier are free of confinements.

The plate carrier houses or holds armor panels like a clamshell. The front portion 214 and the back portion 216 are capable of rotating relative to each other to a limited extent around the bottom of the plate carrier, thus widening or narrowing the housing space inside the plate carrier 200. This adaptability of the housing space eases the operability of the plate carrier 200. The adjustable attachment mechanism 110 is configured to enclose and secure the armor plates. To place an armor panel inside the plate carrier, the adjustable attachment mechanism 110 is unfastened, i.e. at an open position. After protective inserts are placed inside the plate carrier 200, the adjustable attachment mechanism 110 is then fastened to corresponding attachment areas, i.e. at its closed position. The plate, after being secured inside the plate carrier 200, is pressed between the adjustable attachment mechanism 110 and the bottom hinges 206 and is pressed between the front portion 214 and the back portion 216. The friction force along the contact areas between the armor panel and the plate carrier is able to substantially prevent the plate from being displaced or moved along the horizontal direction. The armor panel is fixed vertically by the hinges 206 and straps 110, and does not move substantially along that direction.

The hinges 206 may be made from an integral part of the plate carrier 200. According to an embodiment, the hinges are formed by making a cutout 208 from the bottom of the plate carrier 200. The cutout 208 may be of any shape, including circular, rectangular, oval, elliptical, or triangle. The width of the hinges 206 are designed to provide both suitable mechanical strength to support the weight of the plate inside the plate carrier and flexibility of the plate carrier. The hinges 206 may be made by a method other than a cutout method. According to an embodiment, the hinges are formed while the plate carrier is being molded. According to an embodiment, the hinges may be manufactured separately from the rest of the plate carrier 200 and then attached to the bottom of the front portion 214 or the back portion 216.

A plurality of slots 202 and 204 are provided in the plate carrier 200 for the attachment of harness systems 106 and 108. The slots may be provided on the back portion alone, the front portion alone, or on both the back and front portions. According to an embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, the slots 202 and 204 are provided at the back portion 216 of the plate carrier 200. The plurality of slots 202 and 204 include a plurality of shoulder harness slots 202 and waist harness slots 204. The shoulder harness slots 202 are used for attaching a shoulder harness system 106 and are arranged at a predetermined angle “A” relative to a horizontal direction to follow a general contour of a user's shoulder. The angle “A” may be between 0 to 60 degrees, preferably between 15 to 45 degrees, or preferably about 30 degrees. The waist harness slots 204 are used for attaching a waist harness system or a cummerbund and are arranged in a substantially vertical direction. Both the shoulder harness slots 202 and the waist harness slots 204 include portions 218 that are raised from adjacent areas. These raised portions 218 form clearance spaces to accommodate the thickness of corresponding harness systems that are inserted through the clearance spaces.

The front portion 214 of the plate carrier 200 has a gradually reducing profile from its bottom to its top to reduce unnecessary materials. The extension portion 114 has a constant profile, such as a rectangular shape, and represents a configuration that provides suitable mechanical strength to the plate carrier but does not require more than necessary materials. According to an embodiment, the cross-section area of the extension portion 114 may be about half the size of the cross-section area of the bottom of the plate carrier 200. The transitional portion between the bottom and the extension portion 114 may use any suitable shape that provides a smooth connection therebetween. According to an embodiment, a straight line or a curved line may be used as a profile for the transitional area. According to an embodiment, the transitional portion includes a beveled edge that forms a predetermined angle “B” relative to a vertical direction. The predetermined angle “B” may be between 1 to 60 degrees, or preferably about 30 degrees. According to an embodiment, the transitional portion includes a plurality of cutouts 210 at predetermined areas to reduce the weight of the plate carrier 200. The cutouts 210 may be of any shape such as circle, triangle, rectangle, or oval.

The back portion 216 is proximal to a human torso and requires a design that not only addresses the mechanical requirements but also provides added comfort to a wearer. According to an embodiment, the back portion 216 includes a slot 112 for guiding and securing the adjustable attachment mechanism 110. In the consideration of a female user, a plurality of cutouts 212 are provided in the back portion 216 at locations corresponding to a female's breasts or chest area. The cutouts 212 may have a circular or oval shape that generally conforms to that of a female's breasts or chest area. The back portion 216 also has additional layers for reducing backside deformation of the plate carrier and for providing ventilation passageways to a wearer, which will be described in detail in the following sections of the present application. According to an embodiment, when the plate carrier 200 is used to protect the back of a human torso, the back portion 216 has a plurality of cutouts 212 that conform to the contour of the back torso.

The plate carrier 200 may be made of plastic, metal, composite, and/or any other material that provides suitable mechanical integrity and stiffness. According to an embodiment, the plate carrier is made of a rigid plastic that allows for high wear restraint and confinement for the armor plate. Rigid composites, soft fabrics, rubber, Kevlar and other armor composites may also be used to make the plate carrier. The manufacturing method of such a plate carrier is well known in the art, including drape forming, die cutting, injection molding, vacuum forming, and hot pressing.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the plate carrier 200 according to an embodiment of the present application. The plate carrier 200 has a shoulder harness system 106 and a waist harness system 108 installed. The adjustable attachment mechanism 110 is fastened to the attachment area 114.

FIG. 4 illustrates a back view of the plate carrier 200 according to an embodiment of the present application. The adjustable attachment mechanism 110 is unfastened from the back portion 216. As shown in FIG. 4, the size of the cutouts 212 is determined so that a remaining part 402 at the back portion 216 has a substantially identical width as the extension area 114 of the front portion 214 to ensure that both portions have similar mechanical strength.

FIG. 4 a illustrates a bottom view of the plate carrier 200 according to an embodiment of the present application. The plate carrier 200 is configured to have a predetermined contour 404 that conforms to the general shape of a female upper torso or a male upper torso. According to an embodiment, the general contour 404 represents a shape that is generally adopted by manufacturers of armor plates. The front panel 214 is substantially parallel to the back panel 216, thus forming a plate carrier space with a uniform thickness across the areas covered by the plate carrier 200. According to an embodiment, the portion 218 does not need to be raised. As shown in FIG. 4 a, the portion 218 is at the same level as the other portions of the back panel 216.

FIG. 5 illustrates a plate carrier housing an armor plate according to an embodiment of the present application. The armor plate 502 is held in a plate carrier 200 and is secured in position by the adjustable attachment mechanism 110. The armor plate 502 is allowed to extend beyond the horizontal edges of the plate carrier 200 as the plate carrier 102 has an open edge design along the horizontal direction. According to an embodiment, the adjustable attachment mechanism 110 represents substantially the only means in the plate carrier to hold the armor plate 502. The attachment mechanism 110 is configured to exert enough force along a suitable area in contact with the armor plate 502 so that the friction force substantially prevents the armor plate 502 from moving along the horizontal direction. According to an embodiment, more than one attachment mechanism 110 may be placed at the top of the plate carrier to secure armor plates. The clamshell design of the plate carriers 102 or 104 or 200 greatly simplifies the steps for installing or removing an armor plate 502. With the clamshell design as shown in FIG. 5, the armor plate 502 is free to be placed inside or taken out of the plate carrier after one single operation of the attachment mechanism 110. The front portion and the back portion of the plate carrier are bendable and hinged at the bottom to make additional operating rooms for a user, further easing the installation and removal process. The clamshell design preferably uses a limited number of hinges 206 at the bottom to ease the operability of the plate carrier. According to an embodiment, at least two hinges 206 are disposed at the outmost boundary of the bottom to support the armor plate and provide flexibility of the clamshell design.

FIG. 6 illustrates a plan view of a flattened plate carrier 200 according to an embodiment of the present application. The plate carrier 200 has a configuration that is symmetrical relative to a central axis 602. The material used to make the plate carrier may be a single layer or multiple layers of material. For example, the plate carrier 200 may be made of a single layer of a tough plastic material. According to an embodiment, additional layers of protective or functional materials may be further added to the plastic material. For example, anti-ballistic fabric such as Kevlar or Spectra may be used to cover the plastic material. Other coatings designed to stop shrapnel may also be deposited on the surface of the plastic material. Although FIG. 6 shows that the plate carrier 200 is in the form of one piece of continuous sheet material, the plate carrier 200 may be formed by many pieces or parts without departing from the spirit of the present application. For example, the back portion, the front portion, and the hinges may be manufactured separately from various materials. After each part is made, they may be assembled or attached to each other by proper attachment or securing means including ultrasonic welding, harness, adhesive, screws, rivets, ties, and strings. An ultrasonic welding technique, in general, is suitable to join dissimilar or similar materials, such as plastics. The ultrasonic welding technique is capable of applying high-frequency ultrasonic acoustic vibrations to selected locations of parts that are in contact with each other under pressure to create a joint such as a solid-state weld.

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-section view of a back portion 212 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 7, the back portion 212 may be formed by a plurality of layers of materials to enhance the protection against impact and/or provide comfort to a wearer. A base layer 702 that is formed by the same material as the other part of the plate carrier is substantially covered by a layer of anti-ballistic armor material 704, which is further substantially covered by another layer of functional material designed to improve ventilation to a wearer. The layer of anti-ballistic armor material 704 may be a layer or plural layers of Kevlar fabric and/or be a layer of a liquid armor, also known as shear thickening fluid. According to an embodiment, the functional material 706 has a webbed configuration that provides air gaps or pockets between the back portion of the plate carrier and the human body.

FIG. 8 illustrate a plan view of a plate carrier 800 according to an embodiment of the present application. The plate carrier 800 has a front portion 802 and a back portion 806 connected with a plurality of hinges 804 at the bottom of the plate carrier. The hinges 804 are formed by a rectangular cutout 810. The shoulder harness slots 808 are placed on the front portion 802 of the plate carrier.

FIG. 9 illustrates a plan view of a plate carrier 900 according to an embodiment of the present application. The plate carrier 900 has a similar design with the plate carrier 800 except the adjustable attachment mechanism 110. As shown in FIG. 9, the attachment system 110 is formed by a tongue 902 in the front portion 214 and a plurality of protrusions 908 in the back portion 216. The tongue 902 includes a plurality of perforations that are configured to engage the protrusions 908. A plurality of slots 906 are also provided at the back portion. The tongue 902, when in an attachment position, is placed through the slots 906, thus preventing the tongue 902 from disengaging the protrusions 908 accidentally.

FIG. 10 illustrates a plan view of a plate carrier 1000 according to an embodiment of the present application. The plate carrier 1000 includes a front portion 1002 and a back portion 1006 that are connected via a plurality of hinges 1004 at the bottom. Shoulder harness slots 1008 are placed on the back portion 1006. Both the front portion and the back portion contain no cutouts. The front portion and the back portion both have gradually reducing profiles from the bottom to the top. As shown in FIG. 10, a substantially triangular shape is used as a configuration of the plate carrier such that the bottom has a larger dimension than the top of the plate carrier when in use.

FIG. 11 illustrates a plan view of a plate carrier 1100 according to an embodiment of the present application. The plate carrier 1100 is similar as that of the plate carrier 1000. The differences between the two plate carriers include that the shoulder harness slots 1110 are placed at the front portion 1102, which also has a plurality of perforations designed for accepting an attachment mechanism such as MOLLE. According to an embodiment, a substantially triangular shape is used as a configuration of the plate carrier such that the bottom has a larger dimension than the top of the plate carrier.

FIG. 12 illustrates a side panel 1200 according to an embodiment of the present application. The side panel 1200 is optional to form a functional protective vest. Without side panels 1200, a protective vest formed by only a front panel and a back panel is still capable of protecting a wearer from projectile impacts. The use of a side panel 1200 provides additional protections to side areas of the human torso where the front panel and the back panel meet each other and do not have a complete coverage. Thus, a protective vest may be formed by a front panel, a back panel, and two side panels. According to an embodiment of the present application, the side panel 1200 has the same clamshell design as disclosed in the present application. The side panel may represent any scale down version of any of the plate carriers described in the present application with minor modifications. As shown in FIG. 12, the side pane 1200 includes a front part 1202 and a back part 1204, which are connected by a plurality of hinges 1206 that are formed by a rectangular cut 1212 at the bottom of the side plate carrier 1200. The front part 1202 includes a plurality of cutouts 1210 to reduce weight. The side panel 1200 also includes two waist slots 1208 for attaching a harness system, which fastens the side plate carrier to the front panel or the back panel of a protective vest. According to an embodiment, the side panel 1200 does not include shoulder slots or a harness system at the top of the side panel.

FIG. 13 illustrates a plan view of a plate carrier 1300 according to an embodiment of the present application. The plate carrier 1300 is similar with that in FIG. 6, but includes several different embodiments. The plate carrier 1300 does not include a plurality of slots to attach harness systems, like those slots 202, 112, and 204 in FIG. 6. Instead, the harness system of the plate carrier 1300 represents a substantially integral part of the plate carrier, rather than components separated from the body of the plate carrier or components that need to be attached to the body of the plate carrier. For example, a shoulder harness system 1304, such as a Velcro attachment system, includes the surface loops or hooks 1310 attached to a base layer 1312, which is formed by the same material as that of the body and represents an integral part of the body of the plate carrier 1300. According to an embodiment, the plate carrier 1300, including the harness system, is made from a single piece of material and has homogenous mechanical properties across the body, the shoulder harness system, and the waist harness system. The base layer 1312 may be formed at the same time the body of the plate carrier 1300 is made by using the same process and the same material. Thus, this design simplifies the manufacturing process and improves the mechanical integrity of the plate carrier 1300. This design further reduces the burden of keeping an inventory of all the parts used for a protective vest by integrating most parts with the body of the plate carrier 1300. Although the surface loops or hooks 1310 need to be attached to the base layer, this attachment is relatively easy to be implemented in a factory before a wearer receives the plate carrier. Furthermore, this attachment does not lower the strength of the harness system or the base layer in any noticeable manner.

The plate carrier 1300 also includes an integrated waist harness system 1302, such as cummerbunds, in a manner similar with the shoulder harness system 1304. The plate carrier 1300 also includes a center harness system 1308 integrated with the body of the plate carrier in a way similar with that of the shoulder or waist harness systems. The harness system 1308 is disposed substantially at the top and center portion of the plate carrier 1300 to enclose and secure an armor plate.

According to an embodiment, the plate carrier 1300 may be made of flexible materials, such as flexible plastics or rubbers. For example, the plate carrier 1300 may be made of Neoprene, which has good chemical stability and maintains flexibility over a wide temperature range.

FIG. 14 illustrates the plate carrier 1300 with a fastened harness system 1308 according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 14 depicts the side of the plate carrier that faces an incoming projectile. As shown in FIG. 14, the center harness system 1308 is fastened to the back portion of the plate carrier 1300. The waist harness system 1302, such as a Velcro system, includes hooks or loops 1402 attached to a base layer that represents an integral part of the plate carrier 1300.

The plate carriers as set forth in various embodiments of the present application simplify the process of properly setting up an armor plate and improve the ease of use to a wearer. The plate carrier may also be suitably wearable by users of various body shapes due to the body-conforming design, in which the mechanical part of a plate carrier is configured to conform to common body parts of an upper human torso. Plate carriers as described in the present application, while securing armor plates of different sizes, are still capable of being used by different wearers with comfort.

The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the disclosed embodiments may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, the claims are not intended to be limited only to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims.

It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of applicable claims. Although illustrative embodiments have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the claims are not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A plate carrier wearable by a user for housing an armor plate, comprising: a plurality of hinges that connect a front portion of the plate carrier and a back portion of the plate carrier at the bottom; and an attachment mechanism disposed near the top of the plate carrier and configured to adjustably secure the armor plate inside the plate carrier.
 2. The plate carrier according to claim 1, wherein the plate carrier allows the armor plate to extend beyond the horizontal edges of the plate carrier.
 3. The plate carrier according to claim 1, wherein the front portion includes a plurality of cutouts.
 4. The plate carrier according to claim 1, wherein the front portion of the plate carrier gradually reduces its configuration from the bottom to the top when being used.
 5. The plate carrier according to claim 4, wherein the configuration at the top of the plate carrier is about half the size of the bottom of the plate carrier.
 6. The plate carrier according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of hinges are formed by a predetermined cutout at the bottom of the plate carrier.
 7. The plate carrier according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined cutout represents a single substantially circular cutout.
 8. The plate carrier according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined cutout represents a single substantially rectangular cutout.
 9. The plate carrier according to claim 1, wherein the back portion includes a plurality of shoulder harness slots and a plurality of waist harness slots.
 10. The plate carrier according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of shoulder harness slots have an angle between about 15 degrees to about 45 degrees relative to a horizontal direction.
 11. The plate carrier according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of shoulder harness slots have an angle of about 30 degrees relative to the horizontal direction.
 12. The plate carrier according to claim 1, wherein the back portion includes a cutout corresponding to a wearer's chest area.
 13. The plate carrier according to claim 1, wherein the plate carrier is capable of accommodating armor plates having different sizes.
 14. The plate carrier according to claim 1, wherein an anti-ballistic layer is attached to the back portion.
 15. The plate carrier according to claim 14, wherein a ventilation layer is attached to the anti-ballistic layer and is configured to provide ventilation passageways to dissipate heat generated by a wearer.
 16. The plate carrier according to claim 1, wherein the front portion and the back portion are capable of pivoting around the plurality of hinges like a clamshell.
 17. The plate carrier according to claim 1, wherein the plate carrier is free of any attachment slots.
 18. The plate carrier according claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism near the top of the plate carrier represents an integral part of the plate carrier.
 19. A protective vest including at least one plate carrier of claim
 1. 20. The protective vest according to claim 19, further comprising a side panel. 